RW>I am building a new honey processing plant which requires a number of honey
  >pumps .
  >I would like to see some discussion on the list on what beekeepers in larger
  >operations have found to work well .
 
RW>1. Cappings pump -which will not easily jam (with small broken peices of
  >comb frame), to pump more than 1.5 tonne / hr.
  >We wish to replace a 2 inch "Pender" 6 vane honey pump which pumps the
  >cappings from the uncapper and outflow from the extractors. It pumps through
  >a heat exchanger to a Cooke & Beale type centrifuge to separate the wax from
  >the honey.
 
If the heat exchanger is the "flat pan" type you could use just about
any pump. If it is an sealed unit with a header there is a danger in
using the worm or positive flow pumps as they will pump the little frame
nails through the hot water tubes and your honey will get thinner.
 
The best pumps that I every used are no longer made so I won't mention
them, other then to say in the US the small independent casting
manufactures have disappeared along with some excellent tools such as
a inexpensive honey pump that would pump small parts of bee frames,
wire, and small nails.
 
RW>2. General honey Pumping.
  >a)Has anybody had experience with rubber impeller pumps or pumps other than
  >gear.
 
They are excellent for moving the honey and wax, work better if there is
some method of mixing the wax with the honey. A lot depends on how you
uncap the honey. If you use the minimum wax systems that just brakes the
cap's pumping is no problem, but if you use the "slab" uncappers it can
be more difficult.
 
  >b) We are currently using gear pumps but am interested to consider other
  >options.
  >It is important that the pump is airtight, so that air is not incorporated
  >into the honey and also reliable.
 
This is always a problem with cold honey but can be reduced with
preheating before pumping, but I would not worry about it until the
last step in processing the honey which can be tanked up while still
hot so the air can work out of the honey before drumming it up.
 
RW>3. Variable speed pump.
  >A pump suitable for use in a variable speed mode, but able to pump honey at
  >a reasonably consistant speed even if the outlet pressure varies somewhat ie
  >pumping through an inline filter.
 
Some of these will blow the pipes off the wall.<G>
 
RW>Even if this could just open up the subject of moving honey by any means
  >from A to B in the extracting / packing plant, - I look forward to your
  >responses
 
The better systems at the producer level I have seen rely as much as
they can on gravity with multi level extracting rooms. The less pumping
and heating the best, both from the quality and cost view point. But all
depends on your local industry and standards. Here in California honey
is most all sold in the liquid form so we would have different standards
then say an area that the majority of honey is sold in the natural hard
condition or creamed.
 
I would visit other food and honey processors to see what they are
using, and expect to pay a arm or leg for these specialized pumps.
 
                              ttul Andy-
 
 
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(w)Opinions are not necessarily facts. Use at own risk.
 
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 ~ QMPro 1.53 ~ "L'ENFUMOIR" is the tool the beekeeper uses to smoke bees